Recently, the issue related to a cyberbullying case that has led to the death of a person in Malaysia took over the country by storm. The problem is, despite the nationwide protest, the bully — the person responsible for the cyberbullying — was let go with very mild punishment (we’re talking RM100/USD$20 as a penalty) since there are no “specific laws for cyberbullying”.
Obviously, the fine was not justifiable, and further legal actions are being discussed as we speak. But this proves even further that cyberbullying is here to stay.
Why won’t the problem cease, despite many actions and preventive measures taken to combat this? This article explores the factors that hinder the complete eradication of this harmful behaviour.
The Biggest Factor of Cyberbullying: Anonymity and Disinhibition
The online world offers a cloak of anonymity, and this emboldens the bullies. This lack of face-to-face interaction removes inhibitions, leading to actions that we would otherwise haven’t seen as often in person.
Consider this: maybe you have created multiple alternative accounts (also known as alt accounts) as opposed to your main ones for other purposes. Maybe ones that are for private reasons.
The people who are comfortable posting or doing anything remotely close to crossing the line when it comes to online interaction are mostly doing it behind all of these alt accounts; accounts that have no personal history, or any relational ties to the places they are in, people they are close to, etc.
So, as long as they keep it that way, they are free to do whatever they want. This includes hurting people online, too. That’s often the reason why we hardly can take the bullies down easily; they’re putting on a false bravado behind accounts that hardly tells anything about them.
I’m not saying that they can’t be tracked down, of course. See the prosecutor above, for example. But often than not these online trolls aren’t too trifling to deal with when others already have enough on their plate. So, when the actual threatening bullies are doing actual harm to the unfortunate victim(s), they’re often looked past until it’s too late.
Another Factor of Cyberbullying: Echo Chambers and Confirmation Bias
Social media algorithms can create echo chambers, where users only see content that reinforces their existing beliefs. This can normalise cyberbullying behaviour within certain groups.
I wrote about echo chambers and confirmation bias in one of my articles before. To cut things short, people choose what they want to see on social media. Things that they don’t want to see (or things they hate seeing), they would choose to look away or report/block the accounts responsible for the posts entirely.
User’s power over social media, if left unmonitored, can lead to some really devastating ripple effects. In an echo chamber where aggression and hate speech are normalised, individuals (hiding behind alt accounts) may feel emboldened to engage in cyberbullying without facing consequences or social backlash.
Not to mention that it can lead to dehumanisation, too. When a group collectively holds negative stereotypes about a particular group, it makes it easier for them to inflict harm on members of that group without feeling remorse. Usually, this would lead to the infamous cancel culture.
Big and strong herds always win against weaker or smaller ones, regardless of who is right. Even online, the rule still applies.
The Bystander Effect that Leads towards Cyberbullying
Another severe factor that leads towards the rapid emergence of online trolls or bullies is the bystander effect they have on people online.
Witnessing cyberbullying can be paralysing, in some ways. Fear of retaliation or social exclusion discourages intervention by the people who happen to come across the conflict online (these are what we call bystanders), allowing the abuse to continue.
Having multiple accounts is one thing. We, too, need to consider the fact that people tend to see others on social as “just another user”. Someone not worth noticing, or just something you see every day — not a human being with a life and history to consider.
Not to mention that humans love drama, too.
So, when they see a conflict or argument online, they tend to see it as an enticing story to read/watch and wonder what would happen next without actively participating. Even if the victim is clearly crying out for help, chances are they wouldn’t even bat an eye because — where’s the fun in that?
It’s a bit morbid, yes, but unfortunately, that’s practically how people treat one another on social media. So, reaching out for help on social media should be the last thing you do, because you’d be far more likely to be ridiculed further rather than be helped.
What Can We Do?
Honestly speaking, even I’m not sure. Despite the increased awareness through educational programs in schools and homes, or talks about bullying online in pretty much everywhere, bullying just won’t cease.
However, we can attempt to pressure the team behind the social media platforms to refine reporting systems and implement stricter consequences for offenders. Even then, it’s a lot of work, and not many people care too much about putting in effort to tackle the issue.
The fight against cyberbullying requires a multi-pronged approach: collaboration between parents, educators, technology companies, and mental health professionals, to name a few. Practising legal acts against cyberbullying is just as important as practising them against physical bullies because the harm done is just as harmful nevertheless.
I wrote a bit about user’s power over social media, and how easily the power can be misused here if you want to check it out. Otherwise, I have a catalogue of articles for you to read more. We’ll talk again at another time.